Texts in Conversation
The Masoretic Hebrew text of Deuteronomy 32:35 begins by saying “my revenge,” while the Samaritan Pentateuch reads “for the day of revenge,” a difference also found in the Greek Septuagint. This changes the focus from God as the source of vengeance to the timing of when that vengeance will occur.
Share:
Deuteronomy 32:35
Hebrew Bible
33 Their wine is snakes’ poison, the deadly venom of cobras. 34 “Is this not stored up with me?” says the Lord, “Is it not sealed up in my storehouses? 35 I will get revenge and pay them back at the time their foot slips; for the day of their disaster is near, and the impending judgment is rushing upon them!” 36 The Lord will judge his people, and will have compassion on his servants;62 when he sees that their power has disappeared, and that no one is left, whether confined or set free. 37 He will say, “Where are their gods, the rock in whom they sought security,
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Samaritan Deuteronomy 32:35
Samaritan Penteteuch
Samaritan
33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of strange asps. 34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? 35 For the day of vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. 36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left. 37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted
Date: 130-120 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Search:
Notes and References
"... The key difference between the Masoretic Text and the Samaritan Pentateuch comes at the start of verse 35 where the Masoretic reads: יִל ‘mine,’ but the Samaritan text has two additional consonants to read: םויל ‘for the day.’ The Masoretic text reading is supported by the Vulgate, the Targums and the Peshitta (Longacre 2009, 3-6). In addition, the Masoretic reading is further supported by two New Testament citations: Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30.91 However, the LXX reads: ἐν ἡµέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω ‘on the day of judgement I will repay’, which supports the Samaritan Pentateuch reading םויל ‘for the day’. Tigay (1996, 405n144) suggests the Masoretic reading יִל, was an abbreviation of םויל. Tov (2001, 256-7) agrees, and gives other examples of possible abbreviations in the Masoretic text, or where the LXX translators read the Masoretic as an abbreviation ..."
Reid, Philip Mark
A Preliminary Investigation into the Samaritan Pentateuch as an Intralingual Translation
(pp. 94-95) University of the Free State South Africa, 2021
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.